Hat-brim notcher.



No. 675,844. Patented lune 4, l90l. G. H. SMITH.

HAT BRIM NOTCHER.

(Application filed Oct. 27, 1900\ WITNESSES: i A INVENTOR a) cliiSmut/h,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE Il. SMITII, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TVVO-THIRDS TOJAMES II. FLEMING, OF NEWARK, AND JAMES IVAYLAND, OF BELLE- VILLE, NEWJERSEY.

HAT-BRIM NOTCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,844, dated June 4,190].

Application filed October 27,1900. Serial No. 34,555. (No model.)

To aZl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE II. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Yonkers, in the county of \Vestchester and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-BrimNotchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin IO the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the operation ofsize-notching hats. Heretofore it has been the common practice to employan ordinary scissors or shears in said operation, the size-marks beingcut diagonally into the edge of the brim one by one in accordance withthe size of the hat, one diagonal cut indicating the first size, twonotches indicating size two, and so on, six notches indicating size six,usually being the largest in the series. By this operation considerabletime was consumed and the hat-brim was often damaged to a greater orless degree by undue cutting, and because of inadvertence on the part ofthe workmen the hat was sometimes wrongly numbered, and when too manynotches or cuts were once inserted it was a diflicult matter to cure themistake, involving a cutting down of the brim and a waste of material.

By my improved device the size marks or cuts are inserted uniformlyandwith proper regard for the depth of the cut into the brim, and theproper number of cuts are made at once and with great rapidity andwithout any danger of mismarking, it being understood that as a rule alarge number of hats of a given size are marked one immediately afteranother, so that when the device is once adjusted to the desired size nofurther time or care is required in making the adjustments to completethe work in connection with a quantity of hats of the said given size.

The invention consists in the improved sizenotching device for markinghats and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, allsubstantially as will be hereinafter set forth" and finally embraced inthe clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved implement or device. Fig. 2is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at line 00of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of the notch-cutting end of the device. Fig.5 is an outside detail elevation of one of the prongs between which thecuttcr-carrier is arranged. Fig. 6 is an inside view of one of saidprongs with the cutter-carrier (in section) in place. Fig. 7 is a detailplan of the platen end of the handled sections of the device, and Fig. 8is a plan of the cutter-carrier and showing portions of the prongs inwhich it has its pivotal bearings. Fig. 9 illustrates in section acertain guard or casing inclosing the cutter-can rier, and Fig. 10 is adetail perspective view of a finger-piece for turning thecutter-carrier.

In said drawings, a b indicate a pair of handled bed-sections pivotedtogether at c and providing platen and cutter-carrier-suppoit ing jaws ab at their forward extremities and at their opposite rear extremitiesproviding the handles a 11 as shown in Fig. 1. The said jaws are heldnormally open or apart at their cutting extremities by a spring (1 ofany suitable construction, and the handles are preferably provided witha stop pin or projection c to prevent undue pressure coming upon thecutting edges of the knives or cutters. A pin or projection f, Figs. 2,3, and 4, may also be employed to limit the opening movement of the saidsections. Said sections may also be provided with a lock or catch 9, bywhich the said sections may beheld closed or approximately closed whilethe implement is being carried in the pocket. At its forward orcutter-carrying extremity the section a is bifurcated, as shown moreclearly in Figs. 2 and 4, and between the prongs a a thereof ispivotally arranged a cutter-carrying barrel or cylinder h, the saidbarrel being pivoted, as at t', between said prongs, and at one end, atthe outer side of one of said prongs, having a finger-piece j, securedrigidly to the pivot 'i of the barrel, so that the barrel andfinger-piece j may be turned together. The finger-piece is preferablyprovided with a series of numbers j, Fig. 10, which correspond with thenumber of cutting-blades in the series next adjacent thereto tofacilitate the adjustment of said blades to effect a cutting, thenumbers being especially useful when the blades are inelosed and hiddenby the guard or case 70.

I prefer to form an axial perforation through the barrel 7b, asindicated in Figs. 4, 6, and 9, and also form a similar perforation inthe finger-piece. I thus may insert the shaft or pivot *5 directlythrough said parts and the perforations a, Fig. 5, in the prongs a ofthe handled sections and fix the finger-piece j and the barrel 72 uponthe said shaft 1' by setscrews, keys, or other suitable devices; butsaid barrel It may be formed and arranged in any other suitable way toaccomplish the desired adjustments and operation hereinafter described.

The finger-piecejon its inner side is notched in accordance with thenumbers on the periphery thereof, and on the outer side of the prongs a,next adjacent to said finger-piece, is formed a short slot or groove a,in which a spring a Figs. 5 and 8, is arranged, the latter being held atone end by a screw Z or other means, and at its opposite end having anormal tendency to press outwardly, as shown in Fig. 8. The freeextremity is adapted to coincide with the notches m, and thus while thespring permits a turning of the cutter-carrier or barrel said springtends to hold the barrel and the cutters in proper operative relation,as will be understood. The said cutter-carrier or barrel at itsperiphery is provided with series of slots which are disposed diagonallywith reference to the axis of the barrel, the angle being aboutseventyfive degrees, more or less, and in the said slots are seated aseries of cutting-blades n, which are thus disposed also diagonally andare preferably of hardened steel, the said series each differing in thenumber of blades contained therein. Upon the first seat of the barrel isa single diagonal cutter. In the next seat in order are two diagonal andparallel cutters. In the third seat there are three diagonal andparallel cutters, and so on up to the sixth seat, with six cutters,which ordinarily represent the highest size of hat and number of cuttersdesired by the hatter in sizing his hats. Between the slotted seats forthe cutters are formed longitudinal grooves p, which permit alongitudinal adjustment of the blades.

Upon the handled section bis formed a flat seat or platen b againstwhich the cutting edges of the series of inclined or diagonal blades maybear with greater or less force to effect a notch cutting. The depth ofthe notch is regulated and controlled by an adjustable stop-plate q,Fig. 7, which is provided with a series of inclined cutter-recesses r toreceive the inner ends of the cutters. Said stop-plate q is adjustablein the direction of the said inclined recesses and is held in place by aset-screw s.

In operating the device the barrel or cutter-carrier is turned by thefinger-piece to bring the desired cutter or cutters to a cuttingrelation to the platen, the stop is adjusted to secure the proper depthof the inclined cut, the brim edge of the felt is inserted, and thehandles are pressed together, bringing the cutters against the platen,and thus effecting a cutting of the felt.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. Theimproved hat-brim notcher herein described comprising handled sectionsa, b, pivotally joined, a spring for normally holding the jaws of saidsections apart or open, a platen, formed on one of said jaws, having aseries of inclined cutter-recesses, a rotary cutter-carrier pivotallyarranged upon the other of said jaws, and a series of series of inclinedcutting-blades, the inclined blades of one series differing in numberfrom the number of blades in the next, and the blades of the severalseries being all adapted to enter the inclined recesses of the platen,substantially as set forth. a

2. The improved hat-brim notcher herein described comprising handledsections a, I), having jaws, one of which is provided with a platenhaving a stop-plate q, with inclined notches r, and the other with arotary cuttercarrier having a series of series of inclinedcutting-blades, the blades of the several series increasing in number inregular arithmetical progression, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this29th day of September, 1900.

. GEORGE II. SMlTlI.

Witnesses:

JAMES WAYLAND, JAS. H; FLEMING.

